The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services will start accepting immigration applications filed through the Internet on May 29

The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services will start accepting immigration applications filed through the Internet on May 29, the US Homeland Security Department said Friday. Department officials expect more than 30,000 immigrants to renew or replace green cards or apply for work permits electronically. Those two types of applications account for 30 percent of about 7 million applications each year for various immigration benefits. This is the first step in a bigger plan to automate a lot of the applications, said a spokesman for the bureau. Previously, applications were available online, but they had to be mailed in.